Officer cleared in killing

The Anderson County district attorney general’s office has decided charges against an Anderson County reserve deputy are not merited after an investigation into the shooting of a suspect last fall.

by Beverly Majors/Staff

The Anderson County district attorney general’s office has decided charges against an Anderson County reserve deputy are not merited after an investigation into the shooting of a suspect last fall.

Reserve Deputy Steven Williams shot and killed 30-year-old Randal Kyle Wilcox of Clinton during a struggle over the deputy’s gun on Oct. 13, 2012. The Sheriff’s Department asked the DA's office to investigate the incident, and District Attorney Dave Clark asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to be the lead agency in the investigation. The Anderson County medical examiner’s office also assisted.

The TBI completed its investigation and made a report available to the DA’s office.

“Deputy Williams was within his right to use deadly force,” the report states.

Based on the TBI report, Clark released his office’s conclusions and the report. Below is a summary of the events leading up to the shooting and the investigation.

Investigation summary

Deputy Williams was on patrol, in uniform and driving a marked patrol car. While on patrol in the Marlow community, Williams saw a white Saturn sedan and noticed the driver wasn't wearing a seat belt. He attempted to stop the car, using his patrol car lights and later his siren. He followed the Saturn for a short distance, eventually turning onto Pine Ridge Road and ending at 602 Pine Ridge Road.

The report states that at 602 Pine Ridge Road, the Saturn “suddenly pulled into a driveway, followed closely by Williams’ patrol car.” The driver got out and began to run toward nearby woods. The driver disregarded Williams’ cries to stop and the deputy chased him for a short distance to the wood line. The fleeing Wilcox “tripped and fell to the ground and the Deputy Williams tackled the suspect as he was standing.”

Wilcox reportedly continued to resist arrest and disregard verbal commands. During the struggle, he got on top of the deputy, and hit him in the face.

The report said Wilcox was “fighting to remove Williams’ pistol from its holster and Williams was trying to keep the pistol in its holster.” Wilcox got control of the pistol, removed it from the holster and aimed it from point blank range at Williams’ chest. During the struggle, Deputy Williams tried to regain his weapon and pushed the slide on the pistol backward while the pistol was pointed at him. Wilcox reportedly pulled the trigger on the weapon, but it didn’t fire. The weapon malfunction was likely due to Williams having pushed the slide back “and forcing the weapon out of battery.”

Williams then grabbed the gun and rolled his body over the handgun, freeing himself and the gun from Wilcox. Both men were trying to get to their feet and Williams was trying to rack the slide of the pistol to clear it and get it back in battery. Wilcox was coming to his feet and circling behind Williams while the deputy was still trying to stand. Williams managed to clear the weapon. Wilcox was coming at Williams and reaching toward Williams’ pistol when the deputy fired one shot at Wilcox, but saw no change in Wilcox’s aggressive behavior and thought he had missed. Williams then fired two more shots. Wilcox then yelled something unintelligible at Williams, took several steps and collapsed on the ground.

More deputies arrived on the scene shortly after. The scene was cleared and Wilcox “was deceased on the ground in a wooded area.”

Autopsy results indicate that Wilcox was struck three times by bullets and died as a result of related injuries. There was a single exit wound.

Wilcox had an extensive criminal record. There were at least two outstanding warrants for Wilcox’s arrest at the time. One was for failure to appear for court to answer charges related to driving on a suspended or revoked license and possession of drug paraphernalia, and at least one other warrant related to failure to pay child support. Wilcox had no driver’s license at the time. An empty syringe was found in Wilcox’s pocket along with a small plastic bag of crack cocaine. Post-mortem blood tests indicate Wilcox had chemicals present in his system at the time of his encounter with Deputy Williams that indicated use of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. The alcohol was in a very small amount. However, it is not known whether the other drugs, collectively or individually, impaired his judgment.

The deputy was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was treated and release. At the shooting scene, witnesses were separated and interviewed. Williams’ blood was tested for drugs or alcohol, consistent with Anderson County Sheriff’s Department policy. The blood tests showed no presence of alcohol or any other drugs. Williams “was completely cooperative” in the investigation.

A laboratory test was performed and determined Wilcox’s skin had been in contact with the deputy’s pistol. Mud stains on Williams’ uniform and Wilcox’s clothing supported the deputy’s account of the events.

No one other than Williams actually saw the fight, according to the report. However, there were witnesses in the area who heard Williams’ orders to Wilcox to stop, and the beginning of the foot pursuit.

The outstanding warrants, suspended driver’s license, current possession of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia along with any effects of the drugs in his system likely explain Wilcox’s decision to run from, fight and ultimately attempt to kill Deputy Williams, the TBI stated in the report.

Beverly Majors can be contacted at (865) 220-5514.

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